Verbascum plant named &#39;gold nugget&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Verbascum  plant characterized by numerous yellow flowers with red eyes, on upright, branching flowering stems, and excellent vigor. The foliage is colored a soft silver gray. The habit is compact.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

Verbascum hybrid ((V. phoeniceum×dumulosum)×V. bombyciferum ‘Arctic Summer’).

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Gold Nugget.’

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Verbascum hybrid, and given the cultivar name ‘Gold Nugget’. Verbascum is in the family Scrophulariaceae.

This new cultivar originated as a controlled cross in a cultivated area between Verbascum ‘Jackie’ (an unpatented plant) as the seed parent and Verbascum bombyciferum ‘Arctic Summer’ (an unpatented plant) as the pollen parent. Verbascum ‘Jackie’ is a cross between Verbascum phoeniceum and Verbascum dumulosum.

This new Verbascum hybrid is unique in its large gold colored flowers with bright red eyes combined with its short, multiple flowering stems and silvery leaves.

This plant is characterized by the following:

1. Large yellow flowers with bright red eyes.

2. Numerous upright, branching flowering stems.

3. Large, soft silver gray leaves.

4. Short flowering stems.

5. Small habit.

6. Excellent vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (division and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by division and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The photograph shows the whole plant of a one year old Verbascum ‘Gold Nugget’ grown in the ground in the trial field in bloom in summer.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Verbascum selection based on observations of one-year-old specimens grown in the ground in full sun under typical outdoor conditions in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F. in August to an average of 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year in the trial fields in Canby, Oreg. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—herbaceous perennial.         -   Form.—clumping basal rosette.         -   Hardiness.—U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zones 6-9.         -   Size.—15 cm tall and 26 cm wide, not including             inflorescence.         -   Vigor.—excellent.         -   Roots.—fibrous, with many downward growing and few laterals,             ivory in color, Yellow White 158D. Roots develop slowly from             cuttings from the crown. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—simple.         -   Arrangement.—basal.         -   Shape.—ovate.         -   Blade size.—grows to 16 cm long and 8.5 cm wide.         -   Venation.—pinnate.         -   Margins.—crenate.         -   Apex.—acute.         -   Base.—cuneate.         -   Texture.—leathery, fuzzy.         -   Surface.—stellate pubescent on both sides.         -   Petiole.—— Length - grows to 5 cm — Width - grows to 6 mm —             Surface - densely stellate pubescent — Color - Yellow Green             145C.         -   Leaf color.—— Top side - between Yellow Green 147A and             Greyed Green 191 A with lighter main vein, Yellow Green 145C             — Bottom side - Yellow Green 147B with lighter netted veins             Yellow Green 145C. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—panicle.         -   Total panicle size.—14 cm wide and 30 cm high (where flowers             are).         -   Number ofpanicles per plant.—5.         -   Cauline leaves.—usually 10 in 3.5 cm internodes, lower             leaves petiolate, 3 cm to 14 cm long and 2 to 4.7 cm wide             (including petioles), ovate, with tips acute, margins             crenate, densely stellate pubescent, color the same as the             basal leaves.         -   Flower number.—count of 100 to 170 flowers on one panicle.         -   Peduncle.—— Height - grows to 52 cm — Diameter - 10 mm near             base — Surface - densely stellate pubescent — Color - Yellow             Green 147C.         -   Pedicel.—— Length - grows to 8 mm — Surface - densely             stellate pubescent — Color - Yellow Green 145C.         -   Bloom time.—May through August in Canby, Oreg. -   Flower Bud:     -   -   Size.—12 mm wide and 11 mm deep.         -   Description.—pentagonal cushion.         -   Surface.—stellate pubescent.         -   Color.—Greyed Orange 165B. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—perfect, complete, irregular.         -   Shape.—rotate, irregular, short tubular.         -   Size.—4 cm wide and 12 mm deep including stamens.         -   Color.—Yellow 9B on both sides, with the center of the             inside of the corolla eyed, Greyed Purple 183B.         -   Corolla description.—5 overlapping lobes, margins entire,             apex obtuse, glabrous on top side, glandular on bottom side,             4 cm wide and 7 mm deep, slightly cupped.         -   Calyx description.—5 lobes, 9 mm wide and 6 mm deep, densely             stellate pubescent and glandular on back side, glandular             inside, Yellow Green 147B on both sides.         -   Stamen.—5, the three top stamen are 11 mm long, the lower             two are 12 mm long, all are heavily bearded from the bottom             with Purple 79B, the bottom three are bearded with White             155B at the top of the filaments, the top of the top two             filaments is Orange 22A and not bearded; anthers are kidney             shaped and Orange 22A; pollen is Orange 25A.         -   Pistil.—17 mm long, ovary is 2.5 mm long and Green 138D,             style is 13 mm long and Yellow Green 147C to 147D, stigma is             Yellow Green 147A.         -   Fragrance.—None. -   Fertility: Sterile, no fruit or seed produced. -   Disease and pests: Verbascum are susceptible to fungal leaf spots     and root rots. They need good drainage. Caterpillars may be a     problem.

COMPARISONS

Compared to Verbascum bombyciferum ‘Arctic Summer’ (unpatented), the pollen parent, Verbascum ‘Gold Nugget’ has darker flowers, smaller greener leaves, much more branching, and is much shorter.

Compared to Verbascum ‘Jackie’ (unpatented), the seed parent, Verbascum ‘Gold Nugget’ has flowers that are yellow with red eyes rather than pale peach and leaves that are silver gray rather than green. 

1. A new and distinct Verbascum plant as herein illustrated and described. 